“If you’d like to share your local news with other PWOC’s around the world, please send your request to the Blog Manager at Blog@pwoc.org. If you include pictures with your request, please make sure that you have permission from the folks in the pictures before sending them!”
Submitted by Christine Young, Europe President
I’m big on sheep these days. For several months now I’ve been telling sheep stories and now my kids are really tired of hearing my sheep stories and are anxious for me to find a new topic for discussion. It’s become somewhat of a fascination of mine ever since the New Year started and I began asking God, “What is our mission here in Europe?” He said very simply, “feed the sheep.” There began my inquest into the world of sheep as it relates to the ministry of PWOC. I was reminded of an excellent book that I had read years ago, “A Shepherd’s Look at Psalm 23” by Phillip Keller. I had really enjoyed reading the book the first time and thought it wise to take a refresher course in sheep by rereading that book and diving into the Word. It’s been great fun.
The mission statement for PWOC Europe is “feed the sheep.” This is not a new mission or commission. In fact in John 21:15-17 Jesus tells Simon Peter three times to feed the sheep.
When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”
Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me?” He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”
The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.
My thought is that if Jesus says “feed my sheep” and said it three times, we ought to take Him seriously. I think this command, to feed the sheep, is particularly crucial and relevant as we kickoff bible studies and programming for the year. What are you feeding your sheep in your chapter? Is it good food for them? Will it accomplish our first aim, to lead women to Christ? What fields are the sheep in and when do you plan to move them to the new field to eat? What will be in the new field to eat? An interesting fact is that when sheep are born they gain approximately 100 pounds in the first 100 days. Do you see the parallel to the new Christian and how important it is that we are thoughtful about what, where and how much we feed these new sheep? As I gaze across the fields now I can barely tell the baby sheep from the adult sheep. That’s how fast they grow. Let’s all be thoughtful about what we are feeding the sheep.
____
The Europe Regional News is published on the second Thursday of every month. Submit comments or suggestions to: EuropePresident@pwoc.org
The anticipation in my spirit is building! I can feel it more and more with each passing day. It is the beginning of September and school has started. I am still surrounded by boxes from the recent pcs, but the thing I am looking forward to is PWOC Kickoff! It should be starting on military installations around the globe any day now. There are women out there who will be introduced to Jesus for the first time ever in the coming weeks. There are new Bible studies to be opened and read through for the first time. The anticipation of Bible pages turning is enough to make me giddy! Can you feel it too? As you prepare for kickoff remember the words of Christ, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.” Through tears I pray for us all to be about the Lord’s harvest and nothing less. Come take over our PWOC’s Father and fill them with the fragment aroma of Christ. Bring the harvest Lord and help us to shine in this dark world until Christ returns! Yes, I can feel the anticipation in my spirit building, can you?
_____
The 1VP update is submitted on the second Wednesday of each month. For any comments or suggestions send email to SpiritualDevelopment@pwoc.org
I arrived home and quickly went to work in prayer and research to determine what the Lord was showing us in Korea. I called the PWOCI Executive Board to tell them of this new discovery and sent an email out to the Bible teachers on our board. I asked them to research the color turquoise to see what they could find out.
While assessing the two different colors of sky blue and turquoise, Kim and I drew an interesting conclusion. We sensed the turquoise God had so liberally surrounded us with that day represented a season of deep transformation and abundance the Lord was ushering in.
I had a conference call with our board’s advisors and prayer coordinator to discuss more fully what Kim and I discovered in Korea. During this call, we noted that the turquoise stone is found in the Ephod of Aaron, the high priest as mentioned in Exodus 28:18 and in the walls of the overcoming church mentioned in Is. 54:11.
We determined some of the following characteristics of this color as it might relate to PWOC International:
Other research uncovered the following:
Shortly after discovering this color in Korea, it suddenly exploded as the main trending color of choice within the United States. Everywhere we looked, the color was being confirmed. Because of its significance, we decided to go forward and use the color turquoise as a “refreshed look” for our 2008 PWOC International conference magazine. Shortly thereafter, the 2009 PWOC International Joint Council followed suit and approved it as the official main color in the PWOC logo. Overall, we assessed that He was calling us to “refresh” the color of our logo as a physical representation of the spiritual refreshment and freedom He was bringing into women’s lives.
More treasures coming…stay tuned.
© Brenda Marlin 2010
_____
Submit comments or suggestions to president@pwoc.org
Submitted by Judy Nay
For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ. Colossians 2:9
As a wife and mother the opportunities to love sacrificially abound. In the midst of striving to meet the needs of those around me, I find myself tempted to find my fulfillment in things other than Christ; like rest, peace, more time, comfort, food etc. When I don’t get these things I’m yearning for, then love, joy, peace, patience, kindness is gone. It’s in these moments that the Holy Spirit reminds me that my fullness needs to rest only in Christ.
What is the fuel for this fullness we have in Christ? When we become a Christian Christ dwells within us through the gift of the Holy Spirit. As we daily partake of the blessings of what Christ has done for us through His birth, life, death, burial, resurrection, ascension and promised return, this fullness grows because we understand more fully what Christ did for us to show us God’s perfect love. Because our sin has been forgiven and covered by Christ’s perfect record we have a new standing before the Lord. God’s anger for sin has been averted. God’s benevolent and kind gaze is now upon us. His good hand is upon us. We have access to unhindered fellowship with Him. He hears and answers our prayers. God’s unfailing love and tender mercy shine through when we realize that He allowed His only Son to take the opposite of all these blessings at the cross so that we can abide in them continually.
Are you looking to the Lord or to other things to make yourself happy and fulfilled? People, money, success, acceptance, etc will never be enough to satisfy what only God can satisfy. Jesus fills us in such a way that whether we obtain these things or not, we can be content because we have all we need in Him and nothing can ever take Him away. Going to Christ in our weakness is our strength to overcome those things that pale in comparison to His perfect love. Out of His fullness, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness and self control will flow, making the moments of our day extraordinary.
Submitted by Dawn Kennedy, International Prayer
PWOC is one of the most amazing women’s ministries in the world! A group of sisters: drawn together by their love for Jesus and their common military experiences. It gives my heart joy to think there are 10,000 of us around the world studying, worshipping, sharing, training, and lifting one another up. As I meet sisters from around the globe, one question haunts me.
Over and over women quietly pull me aside and share that they don’t feel comfortable praying. It is everyone: new believers, young moms, seasoned saints, even women who have been in church all their lives. The good news is God does not condemn you. He is drawing and wooing us and He wants to equip us. And to take liberty with a few words repeated by a little mouse named Ratatouille (use your French accent, please!), “Anyone can pray!”
Praying is simply conversation with God, and conversation is a skill most of us have in abundance. A conversation is not one person doing all that talking. That would be a lecture. Imagine two close friends sipping coffee, pouring out their hearts to one another. One may talk less, one may bubble over with words, but they both share and they both listen.
I have been intercessor since childhood, but I am learning something new everyday. Almost every day I ask the Holy Spirit to teach me how to pray. I confess to Him that I don’t know what I am doing and ask for His comfort and teaching to guide me. Sometimes He leads me in sweet adoration, other times I weep for another’s pain or loss. Some days I am fiery in war and cry out for the Lord of Hosts to come and intervene. And some days I am weary to the bone, and I can do nothing but sit at His feet in silence, letting His Presence soak the dry, empty places in my heart. All of these things are prayer.
There is one type of prayer that we can all do, and it is probably my favorite. I like to find one scripture, read it a few times thoughtfully, and then listen to My Shepherd’s voice as He whispers His mercy, His truth, His Life to me. Fancy words don’t matter. Talking to Him and listening to Him are JOY!
God has been capturing my attention with a scripture found in Isaiah 33:5-6. It says:
The Lord is exalted, for He dwells on high.
He has filled Zion with righteousness and justice.
He will be the sure foundation for your times,
a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge,
the fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure.
God is a rich store of salvation, wisdom and knowledge. We each come to the end of our ability to fix everyone around us. When we come to the end of ourselves, we have reached the best place on earth: the beginning of His never ending supply. Simple words from the heart are what He desires.
One year I desperately needed wisdom. I did not know what to do. Situations seemed complex and overwhelming. I read Proverbs 9:10. “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. During that time, I did not know the ways of the Lord. As I prayed my simple, “911” prayer all year, He began to teach me.
First, He began to set me free from being afraid of Him and afraid of punishment. He removed my false foundation of fear, guilt, doubt and shame. I didn’t even know those things were blocking the true reverential awe of the Lord in my life. But our enemy, satan, knew. He wanted to stop the fear of the Lord in my life so that I could not open the God’s rich stores of salvation, wisdom and knowledge. One simple prayer can change your life. He wants to uproot the shaky places in your foundation too. I wonder what would happen if we began to trust Him with that process? Would removing the false make room for the true? Would you like the key to His treasure? Anyone can pray, even you!
Submitted by Alicia Mayer; AK Region president
Intentional seems to be a word that comes up again and again lately. It sounds good and important but what does it really mean? According to Webster’s dictionary; intentional means “done by intention or design.” Done by design, hmm, design. I love that He, my Lord and Savior, has designed me. That He was intentional about everything about me, including every hair on my head. I want to be intentional for Him as well.
I want to be intentional in my relationship with Him. I want to be intentional in growing the relationships I form with the other ladies called to the board. This means I don’t just hope I run into them, I make a point to contact them. I don’t just want to bump into Jesus at a prayer before dinner; I want to intentionally spend time with Him and get to know Him.
I want to be intentional in this job that He has called me to. That means I can’t just do things by accident. It means I have to have a design, a design He has already laid out. Some might call this a vision. In our region God gave a piece of the vision to all called to the board and when we came together, intentionally for vision, we were able to put it to paper. I want to intentionally walk that vision out for Him. Unless we are intentionally walking it through, that vision does nothing but sit on the paper.
PWOCI has given us a great amount of resources to be intentional. We have a Mission Statement, a Readiness Position Statement and Aims all at our disposal to guide us, but they only work if we are intentional about using them. This year we are to Shine in the Light of His Glory taken from Matt 3:14a “You are the light of the world” A friend pointed out that we are not to be like the light, Jesus says “you ARE the light” (emphasis added), this is intentional.
I am looking forward to a whole year of intentionally being the light Jesus asks me to be, are you?
As I finish out my term as president of PWOC International, I would like to share a few stories with you about what the Lord has shown me over the past four years.
I have been a treasure hunter my whole life. I find it interesting that this trait has been within my DNA since birth. I have always tried to figure out how things work or search for hidden things waiting to be discovered. My mom says that my curiosity used to get me into trouble, because I would wander off trying to figure out the unknown things that I encountered along the path of life. Little did I know that God’s plan for me would take me way beyond the curious exploration of my childhood, on into adulthood where He uses this trait for His Kingdom purposes.
Early in my first term as president, the Lord would share with me a very important Scripture, which describes the kingdom treasure finding journey that I would be on in this season of leadership.
…”No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him”—but God has revealed it to us by His Spirit.” 1 Cor. 2:9-10 (NIV)
The Color Turquoise
I was invited to travel to Seoul, Korea to attend the 2007 FaithLift conference shortly after becoming president in 2006. To my delight I learned that Kim Worrell, our immediate outgoing PWOC International president, would be attending this conference as well. We had no idea the incredible things the Lord would show us while we were there.
After the conference was over, the conference planner arranged a tour of the largest full gospel church in the world and also the South/North Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). As Kim and I prepared for our trip to the church, I looked at her and made a comment about her jacket, which was the same color of a jacket that I had recently purchased—it was a beautiful turquoise color. I said, “Perhaps this could be a new color for PWOC”. She commented that she had worn it all over the world during her term in office.
As we boarded the bus, we began our trip to the world’s largest church. On our way there, we noticed several buildings, structures and signs all in this same color. We looked at each other and said to each other, “wonder what this means?”
We arrived at our destination and had to weave through all the masses of people in order to enter into the seating area of the church. As we were standing in line, I felt impressed to look at my new anniversary ring my husband had just given me for our 25th anniversary. I thought about where my new diamond ring came from—Tiffany & Co. Suddenly, it occurred to me the color of the beautiful little box it came in was turquoise! My eyes began to well up with tears as I sensed that my ring was not only a gift from my precious husband, but from the Lord as well. I knew in my heart that the Lord was telling me something very significant in regards to the color turquoise, but I didn’t quite know what He was up to.
The following day, we went on a tour to the DMZ. Prior to going on my trip to Korea, the Lord impressed on me to take a beautiful gold key that I had been given by a speaker at my first Vision Week board meeting. As we were getting ready to leave for the DMZ tour, I felt led to take it with me. I knew there would be a special prayer assignment connected with this key.
Kim and I were on the bus once again, taking in all that we could see. We approached the main entrance to the Demilitarized Zone and noticed the turquoise color once again; only this time there was another color next to it—sky blue. As we drove forward, we began noticing that the turquoise color represented the free side of South Korea and the sky blue color represented the oppressed side. Many times, the sky blue color was behind barbed wire fencing; evidence of those bound up, oppressed and controlled in North Korea.
I immediately used my handy PDA to see if I could locate a Biblical reference to the color turquoise. To my delight, it was there. Kim and I knew that the Lord was trying to show us something, but it would not be completely revealed until after we returned to the United States.
We drove onward, far into the DMZ, where the tour guide shared the history and names of each specific area. We arrived at a location within the DMZ that was called the “Freedom House”. I looked in the area and noticed that one of the buildings had a turquoise roof on it! That was my cue. Kim and I looked at each other and then got up and went to the back of the bus where we began proclaiming in prayer Isaiah 61:1-4 (NIV) for the women of PWOC:
“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of His splendor. They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations.”
As we prayed, I took the gold key and began unlocking the self imposed prison doors that many of women in PWOC lived in and then pulled open the pretend door and said, “come out, you are free!”
To be continued…
© 2010 Brenda Marlin
Submitted by De’Etta Goecker
Asia Region: your mission, should you choose to accept it, bring salt and light to Asia.
Our irresistible mandate is based on Mark 12:30, 31: “Love God Wholeheartedly; Love Others Deeply.” As we seek to love Him fully and to love our PWOC sisters well, God is birthing dazzling creativity across our region. A rising call from Father God challenges us to ALSO look “outside the gates” and shed His salt and light with our host nations. Camp Humphrey’s Life in Korea summer series is a beautiful example of meeting real needs of our women, while looking beyond ourselves to see where God would place us at work during HIS current assignment for us in Asia.
Belinda Corlew, PWOC President at Camp Humphreys has graciously agreed to share with us. Enjoy!
“By nature, I am an adventurist. I love to move around, I embrace change! Not everyone adjusts as easily. It’s especially difficult to embrace change in another country as you are an ocean away from what’s familiar: family, friends, Wal-Mart, etc. The language barrier is just the beginning; added adjustments include transportation, housing, and the unique aromas of Korea.
During PCS season, I felt we needed to share the heart of Jesus by sharing the experiences of women who are thriving in Korea. God led me to invite three specific women who have lived in Korea for some time to share any unique events, challenges, or lessons God has taught them through their journey in Korea during our summer session. We incorporated field trips to Pyeongtaek, Icheon and Anjung Ri. We also coordinated a prayer walk through USAG Humphreys focusing on praying for the Chapel, families in housing and off-post, children of all ages and schools including CDC, soldiers and the women in our community.
I began the series with a short devotion and a challenge based on Matthew 5:13 – 16, “We are called to be the salt and light. God has a mission for us here in Korea. We should choose to look at this as a God appointed calling. Living in another country, having to make new friends, understanding a new culture, can be very intimidating. We should not let fear of a new culture dim our light. God is not about fear. The enemy is and he will use fear to his advantage. If our focus is on God, our light will shine. He will fill us with the boldness to put our light “on a lamp stand”, the boldness to experience Korea and allow others to see our light shine!”
Well done, Camp Humphreys.
Until next month, Shine On! De’Etta
Submitted by Kimchi Blow
Psalm 73:26: “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”
Recently, I joined Weight Watchers because I needed to lose some extra pounds from our recent move and vacation time. While on the road, I ate far more hamburgers and fries than I should have consumed. Have you ever had those guilty little thoughts as you prepare to shove down some greasy, juicy, fattening food? “You know you shouldn’t be eating this!” Well, let’s just say I have selective Holy Spirit hearing at times when He is trying to help me with my health choices. The flesh screams out, “Give me french fries with extra salt or give me death!”
At any rate, after all was said and done, I probably packed on a good 7-8 pounds, so the Weight Watchers program seemed to be the best resource to help me. Part of their program concentrates on portion control. This is something that I have struggled with all my life. I never learned what portion sizes are suitable, much less put them into practice. I grew up in a family where second and third servings at the dinner table were encouraged and a clean plate meant you were healthy! Let’s not forget we earned dessert as an award for clearing our plates. Needless to say, old habits die hard.
Through the years, I tried to break my eating habits and make healthier choices for myself, but it seems I always fall back to my old ways until I am stuffed full. While being on the Weight Watchers program the past couple of weeks, I have learned healthy portion sizes. They offer a point system that correlates to the type and amount of food you need to eat in a day.
The system itself is fairly easy to follow. They allot you points and your goal is to stay within the assigned total to help you lose weight. I basically just choose the food I am thinking about eating, type it into the computer program and before you know it, I have points being handed out to me with the portion sizes to go along with it. I was amazed at first at how very little I am actually allowed to eat or should I say, “should” be eating, compared to what I used to eat. Needless to say, I have already lost a few pounds and my clothes are feeling looser every day. I learned to be satisfied with the portion I am given, and more than that, I learned about the proper portions I should eat to help me maintain better health for myself and my family.
However, one day I was sitting quietly before the Lord and was asking Him to help me gain the self control I need to be successful for my day when choosing food and the correct portions. Almost immediately, I heard Him remind me that with HIM, there are no portion restrictions. In fact, He always gives me the right portion everyday in my life. I had to smile when I pondered this powerful truth. God is my portion! He is the very portion I need daily to sustain not only my physical life, but more so my spiritual life too. His portion never runs out and He does not assign me just a specific daily points allotment, but an abundant portion is always there for me as long as I need it.
Let’s face it, our flesh and spirit are always at battle and living life can be challenging at times. I’m glad to know there is a God in heaven who loves us and always has our best interest at heart, and He is willing to portion out to us just the right amount of life we need! May God give you an abundant portion of His love, grace and mercy today and everyday!
